RFP 202602017 Q

This file is a Questions and Answers summary document for RFP 202602017 issued by the State of Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services to establish a Pre-Qualified Vendor List for in-person spoken language interpretation services and over-the-phone interpreting (OPI) services. The RFP solicits proposals for interpreter services to support limited English proficiency clients across multiple state agencies including Health and Human Services departments and Maine courts, with bidders permitted to propose for either or both service categories. Services must be available 365 days per year, seven days per week, and 24 hours per day on an as-needed basis. The deadline for submitting questions was April 24, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. local time, with answers to be published no later than seven calendar days prior to the proposal submission deadline of June 1, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. local time. The PQVL term is scheduled to begin January 1, 2027, with proposals eligible for resubmission prior to the annual enrollment deadline on the first business day of December while the RFP remains active.

All interpreters must be certified regardless of service setting, and the awarded bidder may be located outside the United States provided project data is not stored outside U.S. borders and all applicable data handling restrictions under Maine's System and Services Acquisition Policy and OIT Data Classification Policy are observed. For in-person services, bidders must provide hourly rates across five service categories with differentiated rates for weekday business hours versus after-hours/weekend/holiday availability, while OPI providers must submit a single fixed per-minute rate applicable to all languages. In-person services can be provided from secure, well-equipped home offices or remote locations if the bidder describes how confidentiality and connection clarity will be guaranteed. Bidders must indicate whether they require minimum charges for in-person assignments, though the state prefers no minimum charge. OPI services are provided exclusively via telephone and can be scheduled in advance or handled on-demand with no notice, with a required 95% connection rate within 30 seconds. No set budget is established as services are contracted on an as-needed basis, historical usage data is unavailable, and no specific annual call or request volumes per language have been disclosed by the state.